Brussels, 12/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - Swiss bankers, speaking in Bern, during a seminar by the Swiss Bankers Association (ASB), indicated on Tuesday that they were prepared to accept the compromise from the Feira Summit on savings taxation on condition that it be applied by certain Asian countries, such as Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong. The Feira compromise foresees to generalise an information exchange system with European countries in 2010, after a 7 year transition period during which this system would co-exist in the EU with a withholding tax. It means the end of banking secrecy benefiting certain European "savers" and banks in practising countries. Luxembourg subordinated its agreement over the Directive establishing this provision (and which must be adopted by the end of 2002) to the concluding of agreements foreseeing "equivalent measures" with certain third countries, including the United States and Switzerland. Jonathan Todd, spokesperson for Commissioner Fritz Bolkestein, responsible for taxation, stated that the negotiations continue exclusively with the six countries foreseen by the Feira compromise. An observer close to the European negotiators nevertheless added that it is not out of the question that such agreements be negotiated with these Asian countries which, for the time being, do not represent a significant danger for tax evasion. It remains to be seen whether the Swiss bankers are prepared to abandon banking secrecy or only consider to retrocede the withholding tax to the State of the anonymous saver, signalled this observer.